Ontario Launches New Student Assistance Calculator Tool Helps Students and Families See if They Could be Eligible for Free Tuition from Province

With applications now open for college and university programs, Ontario has launched a new online calculator to help students and their families find out quickly and easily whether they qualify for free tuition or other grants and supports from the province.

By entering basic information at Ontario.ca/osap, in just a few clicks students will learn whether they are eligible for free tuition and how much aid they could receive from the new Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).

Starting in the 2017-18 school year, the new OSAP will:

• Provide free average tuition to more than 150,000 students across Ontario whose parents earn less than $50,000 a year

• Provide more generous grants to make college and university more affordable for students from middle income families

• Provide greater access to grants for mature and married students

• Reduce the provincial debt load for about 80 per cent of all OSAP recipients.

Ontario is also redesigning OSAP for the digital age by making it easier to use. Students can apply, check their status and manage their financial aid anywhere, anytime, on any device.

Expanding access to college and university is part of our government's plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.

Quick Facts

• Students applying to college and university for September, 2017 will be the first to benefit from the new OSAP.

• Average tuition will be free for more than 150,000 students once the changes to OSAP are fully implemented. About 80 per cent of all OSAP recipients will graduate with less provincial debt.

• The new OSAP will allow mature students to qualify for more grants so they can go back to school to upgrade their skills.

• If you are a single parent, have three children and earn $60,000 a year, for example, the new OSAP calculator will tell you that you are eligible for over $16,000 of non-repayable aid, making tuition free should you want to attend college.

• Ontario will work closely with colleges and universities to ensure that families clearly see upfront the difference between the sticker price for tuition and what students would need to pay.

• In 2014-15, Ontario issued almost $1.3 billion in grants and loans to students.

“Attending college or university should be based on a student’s potential and not on their ability to pay. That’s why we’re moving ahead with the most ambitious reforms of student assistance in North America. I encourage people in Ontario to use the new OSAP calculator to see just how much support they are eligible for, and if they qualify for free tuition, and to apply to university or college while applications are still open.” Deb Matthews Deputy Premier, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Digital Government Media